Because of its ease of assimilation, palatability and low toxicity, citric acid is one of the most widely used acids in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The acid is widely used as an acidulant in beverages and also as an antioxidant for inhibiting rancidity in fats and oils. Both the acid and its salts are employed as buffers in the preparation of jams, jellies and gelatin preparations, and are also used as stabilizers in various food products.
Hitherto, citric acid fermentation processes have employed the use of selected strains of Aspergillus niger in aqueous nutrient media containing molasses, sucrose, dextrose, etc. as the principal source of assimilable carbon.
Recent developments described in Belgian Pat. No. 724,553, Japanese Pat. No. 20707 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,549 cover processes for the production of citric acid by the aerobic propagation of a citric acid-accumulating yeast in aqueous nutrient media containing carbohydrates as the principal source of assimilable carbon.